Abraxane in Head and Neck Cancer The role of Abraxane in Head and Neck cancer has been explored in a phase I study (Damascelli et al, 2001). Abraxane was injected intra-arterially (carotid artery) in 31 patients with advanced Head and Neck cancer. The maximum tolerated dose in a single administration was determined to be 270 mg/m2 which is very close to the approved dose of 260 mg/m2. Three patients achieved complete response and 19 patients achieved partial response for a combined response rate of 76%. Side effects are very tolerable including three patients with grade 4 neutropenia, and grade 2 non-hematologic toxicities included: keratitis [1 patient], skin toxicity [5 patients], neurologic toxicities [4 patients], and flu-like syndrome [7 patients]. However, intra-arterial administration is technically challenging with potential serious side effects, cumbersome and not the conventional way of delivering chemotherapy. In another phase 1 study of Abraxane in advanced solid tumors, 3 out of 5 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma had responses lasting 25, 18 and 13+ weeks (Teng et al, 2005).